Chapter 2

I started chatting with Margo about my old days with Elias.

I first met him at Sundral University's orientation ceremony.

Back then, he was the campus heartthrob. He was handsome, wealthy, and came from a prestigious family.

I was up on stage giving a speech as the freshman representative, and he was sitting in the audience, his gaze fixed on me.

They said Elias could win me over in just three days, but honestly, I didn't give him a shot the entire semester.

It wasn't until my sophomore year, after finishing a late shift at my part-time gig, that I was walking back to campus alone and couldn't shake the feeling that someone was tailing me.

I got so freaked out that I started running, and after a while, I finally saw a convenience store with its lights still on.

I pushed the door open and let out a huge sigh of relief.

When I looked up, there was Elias, drinking a Coke like nothing had happened.

Elias looked at me, surprised. "Hey, what happened?"

I blurted out, my voice shaky, "I think someone's been following me."

He froze for a moment, then casually set down his Coke, grabbed his phone, and headed outside without a second thought.

A few minutes later, he came back, grinning. "No one's out there. Come on, let's get you back safely."

That was how we became close. What began as casual chats turned into real feelings.

In the end, I said yes and became his girlfriend.

Honestly, Elias was the perfect boyfriend.

He remembered all my habits and preferences, always trying to give me the best of everything.

For those two years, we didn't care about our backgrounds, our differences, or what anyone else thought. We just loved each other completely and fearlessly.

I would never forget that winter: classes were called off, and the snow outside the dorm was knee-deep.

I snapped a photo and posted it on Instagram, complaining. [Too bad I can't get a muffin from the shop on the back street.]

Elias commented: [Desperate for them?]

I replied: [Yeah, I want a fresh one, and it's even better if it's covered in maple syrup.]

My message went unanswered, but two hours later, someone knocked at my dorm door.

There stood Elias, looking like a walking snowman.

"Are you crazy? Look at this snow," I blurted out.

He pulled a bag out from inside his coat. The muffins inside were still warm.

And the maple syrup I'd been dreaming about was in a bottle, not a single drop missing.

Elias grinned. "Try it."

It was only later that I learned he'd trudged through the snow for way longer than the usual twenty-minute walk.

That winter, the scent of the muffins mingled with the crisp cold of the snow, and his sincere smile became the warmest memory I would ever have.

Margo was totally hooked, her chin propped up in her hands. "Julia, he really loves you. How could you give up on someone who loves you that much?"

I smiled lightly. "I didn't dump him. He dumped me."

"What?" Margo's eyes went wide, her face full of disbelief.

After that winter, Elias just broke up with me out of nowhere.

He said he'd fallen for someone else, a girl who matched him in every way, bright and outgoing.

He told me, "Julia, love happens in a flash, and so does disappointment."

Her name was Sophie Mills, and she'd grown up overseas. Elias met her by chance at a party after she came back home.

Just like he'd fallen for me at first sight, the moment he laid eyes on Sophie, he was in love with her.

The difference was that Sophie seemed to belong to his world.

She came from a good family, was outgoing, and carried herself like a princess, while a minor footnote in Elias' life.

I kept hearing about all the crazy, romantic things they were doing together.

They climbed snowy mountains, saw the aurora, and went to see volcanoes.

All those promises Elias had made to me had already been fulfilled with another girl.